South Korean government seeks to release detainees in North Korea

South Korean Unification Minister Kwon Young-se has said the government will mobilize all available means to secure the release of South Korean detainees in North Korea.

Kwon made his remarks during a meeting with relatives of two of six South Koreans who have been held in North Korea since 2013. The unusual session was organized to explain the government’s commitment to resolving the long-standing issue.

As reported by the Yonhap mediathe minister said that the cold inter-Korean relations will be a big obstacle in solving the problem, but the South Korean government will do its best to protect South Korean citizens.

Currently, six South Koreans, including three pastors, are being held in North Korea on charges of committing what Pyongyang calls anti-North Korea crimes.

Among those detained, three South Korean pastors – Kim Jung-wook, Kim Kuk-gi and Choe Chun-gil – were sentenced to life in prison with hard labor, after being accused of spying for the South Korean National Intelligence Service. The other three detainees are reportedly North Korean defectors.